Patna, Feb 24 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hinted that Hyderabad Member of Parliament (MP) Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is on the verge of breaking up while speaking in the Bihar Assembly. Nitish launched a sharp attack on Akhtarul Iman, AIMIM Bihar state President and MLA, and said Owaisi would now be left all alone. At present, the AIMIM has five MLAs in the Bihar Assembly.
The Bihar Chief Minister was replying to the Governor's address in the Assembly on Tuesday and said that Akhtarul Iman demanded that Purnia be the state's capital, which Nitish rejected outright.
Nitish said that people could reach Patna from anywhere in the state in just five to six hours, adding that when Bihar and Jharkhand were part of a single state, then Ranchi was the state capital.
The Chief Minister said, "I cannot build any other capital. If anyone else becomes the Chief Minister after me, they can do whatever they wish. I cannot do such a thing."
After this statement by the Chief Minister, Akhtarul Iman started walking out of the House along with his party MLAs. Nitish Kumar said if the AIMIM leaders sit and listen in the House it will be beneficial for them in the future.
Pointing towards Iman Nitish said, "You have now switched sides to a third party after being with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal United (JDU). If you are staging a walkout, you are welcome to go, but in the process you are left alone."
With Nitish's statement, it is being speculated that he is sending a message to the AIMIM state President that he would be left alone along with his party Chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
All five elected MLAs of AIMIM had met Nitish at his residence in January this year. Since this meeting, there was speculation that all AIMIM MLAs may soon join the JD(U). However, Iman made it clear that the AIMIM MLAs had met the Chief Minister to discuss the problems of their regions.
Nitish also said that as the Chief Minister of the state, MLAs and MPs from other parties continue to meet him, but this should not be given any political motive.
After the 2020 Assembly elections in Bihar, the JDU is trying to increase its political outreach to various other parties. Earlier, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Mohammad Zama Khan had joined the JD(U) and became a minister.
Asaduddin Owaisi's party AIMIM is also working on a strategy to contest elections in poll-bound West Bengal.
( With inputs from IANS )
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